Dodgers Considering Rest Days for Shohei Ohtani Before Postseason

The Dodgers are weighing whether to pull Shohei Ohtani from upcoming lineups in an effort to get him to full health before the postseason, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Nothing has been formalized — this is a consideration, not an announcement — but the direction of the thinking is clear enough.

What's driving the conversation

The deliberation follows a difficult stretch for Ohtani. Days earlier, manager Dave Roberts said he would evaluate Ohtani's availability after the slugger went hitless with four strikeouts against the Cardinals, visibly wincing and compensating during at-bats. That kind of visible discomfort tends to accelerate conversations about workload management, particularly this close to October.

What we don't know yet

The report does not specify which games Ohtani might sit, how many days off are being discussed, or what exactly is affecting him physically. No diagnosis or injury designation has been reported. The plan, to the extent one exists, remains fluid.

The broader roster picture

Los Angeles has been navigating a crowded medical ledger. Roki Sasaki landed on the injured list with a blister, and Eric Lauer — who had slid into the rotation in Sasaki's absence — was subsequently placed on the IL as well. On the more encouraging side, catcher Will Smith was activated from the injured list, returning depth to a lineup that had been running thin.

With the rotation unsettled and Ohtani's health uncertain, the Dodgers are clearly in triage mode as the regular season winds down. Whether planned rest helps Ohtani or simply costs the team wins in the standings is the kind of tradeoff that makes late-September roster management genuinely interesting to watch.